Covid-19 response – Funerals

Funerals are being significantly impacted by the current situation. There is a huge need for bereavement care, as well as adapting to short or even no ceremony at all. This page will be updated regularly with resources to help you share God’s love and hope with those in your community.

At present you are able to continue to hold small funeral services by the graveside and at the crematoria, keeping to guidelines of hygiene and social distancing.

Not attending a funeral is a very difficult experience for people, in spite of recent suggestions that ‘no fuss’ is a good idea. The reality is many will feel additional grief, especially if they could not say goodbye properly.

Liaise with your local funeral directors: they are gathering a lot of information, both practically and pastorally. Many families will no longer get to meet with them in person, and the situation will be stressful for everyone involved.Make sure they know who is available, and about the online resources, prayers and advice available to families.

Mostly, it will not be possible to make a pastoral visit, so phone calls and Skype calls to help families with the arrangements will be important, especially where premature and tragic deaths occur.

Email or post out a Funeral reflection to those who will be absent so they use at home of they wish on the day of the funeral. A new resource has just been published for this purpose – download it here.

If there are Order of Service booklets being done, ask the funeral director to email a copy so that the family can forward them on to those who can’t be there.

Think about different ways you can offer services after the crisis. For example, additional remembering services, not just at All Souls, ora specific personal space either formal and informal. We will be suggesting a way of creating ‘share and tell’, a simple way of recalling someone’s life, offering prayers, sharing memories, and finding hope for the future, with the space curated by the local church community.These and other ideas will be shared on www.churchsupporthub.org.

In the coming days we will also be posting articles which could be used in a parish magazine or website to help those in the community who are grieving. Check the Support Hub and sign up for the e-newsletter (from the Home page, yellow tab bottom right) to get updates on new resources.

Downloads

Show solidarity, appreciation and care for your local Funeral Director and crematoria staff by sending a simple card. This version can be e-mailed, but if you’d prefer to put a card in the post, order your free pack from the Church Print Hub.

2. Reflection for use at home for those who can’t attend a funeral. Download it here.

A service that can be said at home to remember someone who has died. To be used on the day of the funeral or at any time to reflect on the person’s life and find comfort. These service sheets can be sent out to people who cannot attend a funeral, perhaps with a prayer card

4. Bookmark-style Prayer Card for those who can’t attend a funeral. Download it here.

These bookmark-sized cards can be sent out to remind people that God is with them and their friends and family when they cannot gather together for a funeral. They feature a short prayer which could be said at home on the day of the funeral or the days after.

6. Downloadable social media images to raise awareness of the online Light a Candle feature

“Show you care when you can’t be there” A social media download pre-sized for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Light a Candle is a way of remembering someone who has died and of marking their funeral even when you can’t be there in person. Post this image on social media to offer support to people who are grieving alone at home.

As we journey through the strange and uncertain season of the Covid-19 pandemic, we hope to help you through the impact on life events, especially funerals, with this series of webinars. We hope you can join us.

During these very uncertain times, those who have already booked a baptism or wedding this year will have many questions about what will happen. And funerals will be very much an ongoing part of ministry in your community. This page offers advice and more to help you respond.

Many churches report that services to remember loved ones are growing faster than almost any other kind of service. Whether it’s a personal memorial or a service with others, families have a clear need after the funeral – a need which the church can help with. Use this section to explore ways to make the most of these services.